


bury the dead where they're found

by goldfyshie927



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Cry with me, Gen, Just let it wash over you, Just lost her bending, She has nothing to live for anymore, She's sad okay?, just so much angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28447887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldfyshie927/pseuds/goldfyshie927
Summary: Lin had become pain. She knew nothing else at that moment. Her body hurt, her skin felt raw, her blood made up of pins and needles. She was being crushed alive by it. And she was cold. So cold, like her bones were made of ice. She groaned, then blinked her eyes open, looking around.She was alone.-----------Lin wakes up, post losing her bending, and is forced to begin reconciliation
Kudos: 21





	bury the dead where they're found

Lin had become pain. She knew nothing else at that moment. Her body hurt, her skin felt raw, her blood made up of pins and needles. She was being crushed alive by it. And she was cold. So cold, like her bones were made of ice. She groaned, then blinked her eyes open, looking around. 

She was alone. 

She rolled onto her back, closing her eyes again. Rain pooled on her eyelids, rivulets of water poured into her nose, choking her. She let it, her hands laying limp on the stone beneath her. Let it drown me, she thought. She coughed. Her lungs burned. 

In her mind she heard her mother’s voice, harsh and clear as day. “We are earth benders, Lin. It is in our blood. It’s our legacy. Who are we, without bending?” 

Nothing.

No longer a bender. No longer a police officer. No longer a daughter. 

The shame she felt was almost worse than the pain and spread faster than a wildfire. Lin felt it practically shooting from her body, the sensation of loss more than she knew what to do with. She was empty, meaningless, worth nothing. Throw her into the harbor and be done with her. 

Rolling onto her side, Lin pressed one hand against the stone and, with a bitter laugh, tried to bend it to her will. She knew nothing would happen. It was futile but she had to be sure. The stone stayed in place, not even the tiniest fracture appearing. She laughed again, a short bark, twisted at the root by the sob she hoped it would cover. 

She would not cry.

Lin pushed herself up, kneeling in place, swaying. The pain was worse now. She almost cracked then, the feeling of being crushed coming over her like a wave. Bending over, she vomited, then coughed. It felt like she was being torn in two. 

Looking around, she tried to gather her bearings. She could see Air Temple Island in the distance. So, Amon had dumped her here, unceremoniously left her at the docks of the harbor, like refuse. At least he hadn’t killed her.

At least.

It had taken so little to get her down. Just a short burst of electricity, cables ensnaring her body. She remembered falling, hard, her ribs hitting the metal hull of the airship, the air being knocked from her lungs. Then, darkness. Being dragged to the center of the training grounds. 

She’d been terrified in that moment, for the first time in years. 

Maybe for the first time ever.

When she’d closed her eyes, willing to accept her fate, she’d expected to see Tenzin, maybe Korra, the people who were depending on her most. Instead, Toph’s face floated behind her eyelids. On her face had been a proud smile, the smile she’d given Lin when she’d made Lieutenant. The smile Lin had never earned. The vision had made Lin’s stomach lurch, almost made her vomit right there in front of Amon and his Equalist army.

Then Amon had pressed his thumb to Lin’s forehead and everything disappeared. 

Had Tenzin and his family been able to get away? 

Her vision swam and she pressed her palm to her pounding head. She hoped so. She needed something to come from this, something right, something good. Something Toph worthy. Otherwise, she was as much a failure as she’d ever been. 

The thought was too much. Lin doubled over, her stomach cramping. There was nothing left in her. She was hollow, an echo chamber for all her mistakes. 

No use crying now. 

Climbing unsteadily to her feet, she took a deep breath, willing her lungs to draw in as much air as she could muster. She needed help. She knew she’d fractured her ribs on the airship and a nasty bump had formed on the side of her head where she’d cracked it as she’d fallen. Her cheek felt raw, skinned maybe. She probed it gently. Her cheekbone seemed bruised, but not broken. 

She took a step, her knees buckling. By some miracle, Amon or his people had dumped her near the railing and she grasped it tightly, waiting until her knees no longer trembled. Then she took another step, and another. There were warehouses nearby and it was early morning. Surely some of the dock workers would be showing up to work soon. They could phone an ambulance for her. 

She pitched forward, trying to walk steadily towards the nearest warehouse. As she neared it, she saw a few workers milling around, and tried to call to them. The words stuck in her throat. She stumbled forward, lifting a hand, and tried again. This time, her voice carried a bit further and she saw one of the men lift his head at the sound. 

“Help,” she cried one more time, her voice unbearably hoarse, before her knees gave out completely and she fell, landing hard on the ground. 

“Jeez lady, are you okay?” the man said, running over to her. He lifted her carefully, then looked at her face. “Criminy. It’s Chief Beifong,” he said loudly to the other two who came his way. “Call an ambulance.” 

Lin shook her head. “I’m not-” she started, her breath escaping her. She tried again. “I’m not the chief.” 

The words tasted like ash, a reminder of all she was no longer.

The man looked at her in confusion. “You’re not Chief Beifong?”

“I’m Lin Beifong. I’m not the chief anymore,” she rasped one more time. 

The edges of her vision got hazy, black, curling into her line of sight. She fought it, but it was coming, too hard and too fast for her to do anything about. It could take her. Maybe she’d stop existing if she let it. 

“The ambulance will be here soon,” she heard someone say. She couldn’t see who, didn’t care to look, didn’t care to breathe. The rain pounded onto her skin. So cold. 

Let her drown. 

Or disappear. 

Either would be fine.

She pushed at the man’s chest, hard, using every last bit of strength left. His hands slipped on her metal armor and she fell against the pavement. 

“Why’d you drop her?” someone asked. 

“I didn’t!” he protested. “She pushed me.” 

Curling away from him and into herself, she faded, the sound of the ambulance sirens sending her off into the nothingness she wanted. 

  
  



End file.
